Lost in Destiny
by Suicidal Fantasy
Summary: The Shikon Miko's story is not over when the well disappears, it is just beginning. IY/YYH Hiei/Kag. I don't own either IY or YYH.
1. Chapter 1

I did not realize my mistake until it was too late.

The well had disappeared. It could not have been gone for more than five minutes before my daughter and her protector appeared, but those were the scariest five minutes of my life. I had thought my daughter was stuck somewhere beyond the well. The well was the only way she had ever come and gone between the two worlds, and I thought it the only way she could. Staring at the ground that the well had vanished into, and crying out my only daughter's name, I could not fathom living if she was dead. I had sent her on her mission, giving her a destiny that should not have belonged to a child so young; a destiny that I wish she did not have. I had pushed her into it, pushed her straight into the arms of a boy from 500 years in the past. I had pushed her into the life of her ancient relative, one who could not handle the duties given her. I had pushed her to be as great as she could, and now, I was regretting it all.

If only I could turn back time and forbid her from ever seeing that boy, her protector again; forbid her from following her destiny. Though, I could not. I could not deny her the chance at love, at life, and at her future, which is foretold to be extraordinary.

The first time she had come back from the well, after missing for three days, she had told a story of fairytales: of demons, mikos, and the Shikon no Tama. Her grandfather, my father-in-law and a shrine-keeper, had began searching through the shrine records for legends that were related to what she had talked about. He knew the legend of the Shikon, but not as much as we would have liked. It was an old legend from our shrine. He found the myth of the Shikon no Tama, its protectors, and the legend of the Shikon Miko. It was a sad, harrowing tale of love, betrayal, and finally victory. The thing that scared me the most was that the legend never once stated what would happen to the Shikon Miko once the jewel was gone. It stated, very ominously, _'The Shikon Miko's tale does not end here'. _

Knowing this, all I could think was that my daughter was destined for the past, and I would never see her again.

Shortly after I processed the disappearance of the well, my daughter and her protector, the boy, appeared.

I could not think of anything, except, '_My daughter is here; she is alive'._ I ran to her, and grabbed her, holding her to me tight, letting my tears flow freely. While I was welcoming my precious daughter home, her protector, her love, disappeared back to his time. This was when I realized my mistake.

I had completely ignored the one who had kept my daughter safe during the three years she had traveled through the well. He was the only one who could have brought her back to me, and I ignored him. He had become almost like a son to me during my daughter's travels, and I disregarded him, without a second thought.

Then, I realized: I was fated to lose her again, eventually; to the well, to her love, and worst of all, to her destiny.

-----------------------

Six months had passed since the well had disappeared and my daughter reappeared without it when four boys had shown up at the shrine. One was brash and rude; he said his name was Yuusuke. Another, the tallest, said his name was Kuwabara. The next, a very cute, well-mannered young man had introduced himself as Kurama; and then he introduced me to Hiei. Hiei was the shortest of the groups, and also appeared the most violent.

Kurama had explained that their boss was Prince Koenma, the Prince of the three worlds. Then, of course, he had explained to me what the three worlds were and why there was need for them, though he did not go into great detail. The Rekai, Makai, and Ningenkai, he had said, were created to keep humans safe from demons. The Spirit Detectives, as they said they were, were the ones who were supposed to keep the balance, and ensure the demons and humans stayed where they were supposed to. The gods ruled it all from the Rekai. Kurama then explained that my daughter was wanted at Rekai, to speak to King Enma, Prince Koenma's father.

At first, I vehemently denied it. I told them my daughter had done her duty, and now, she needed to live a normal life. Yuusuke laughed and said, 'Lady, no one that the Rekai wants ever gets a normal life'. And, once again, my heart broke. My daughter's destiny was not over, and it seemed it never would be.

Shortly after this, I realized I had no choice in the matter, once again, and had to accept it as her destiny as the Shikon Miko.

When she arrived home, I pulled her aside and gave her a hug. I told her, 'No matter what happens, and what you decide to do, I will always be here'.

She just smiled, a strong smile, one that I was so used to seeing, and said, 'I know, Mama'.

We walked into the living room, to speak to her guests. She was so mature, and looking at her, I realized I did not really know my precious daughter. She was no longer my baby; she was a grown, mature woman, who had endured so much more than I had. I decided at that moment, that I would trust her, and no longer try to deny her destiny.

* * *

AN: I totally know I should be working on Make-over right now, but this bit me, and I couldn't let it go! Hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome sat on the couch, listening attentively to Kurama's explanation of the three worlds. She took it all in stride, seeming like none of it was too surprising to her.

The Detectives had been told not to assume anything. Koenma had said that his father was not sure of the extent of her miko abilities or her reaction to youkai. The team was urged to be on guard, in case the Shikon Miko had decided to eradicate the youkai members of the team.

The Detectives, though all had been warned not to assume anything, were all shocked at how wrong they were. Yuusuke had thought she would be ugly; Kuwabara had thought she would try to attack Kurama and Hiei, and he didn't want to hit a girl; Kurama had thought she would not understand the situation, or at least not care about it; and Hiei had thought she would be a worthless human onna who had somehow fooled everyone at Rekai into thinking she had power.

The Shikon Miko oozed power almost from every pore. Though no normal human would be able to notice anything unusual about her, it was obvious to the spiritually aware (such as Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama). Her beauty and gracefulness gained Yuusuke's immediate attention. Her selfless attitude endeared her to Kurama and Kuwabara almost instantly. Her excessive amount of power at such a young age, with so little training, increased Hiei's tolerance of her slightly.

Kurama had told her that about 250 years ago the world was split into three different worlds. One was made for the youkai; one was made for the humans; and one was for the gods to watch over both and keep both safe from each other's influence. The demons soon learned of flaws with the barrier keeping the worlds separate. They used the flaws to start trafficking humans. Females were the most sought after, especially mikos. Very few mikos escaped being kidnapped and taken to be sold in the demon world, even fewer mikos survived in the ningenkai to adulthood, as demons would break through the barrier only to kill humans, especially females, and especially mikos. The mikos slowly died out, and it was nearly impossible to find a true miko today. Kurama explained that Kagome was an exception to the rule. She was the reincarnation of a powerful miko, Kikyou, and also her five times great aunt. Kagome interrupted at this fact, denying that Kikyou's only sibling never had children.

Kurama explained that Kikyou's sister, Kaede, had had a daughter. Before Kaede had become a miko, before Kikyou had died, their parents had arranged a marriage of convenience for their younger daughter. Thinking that their eldest would be the pride of the family, they had no need for their youngest and planned to marry her off. Once Kikyou died, Kaede had to step in as the village miko, yet still had to obey her parents' wishes, and marry. The daughter born of the marriage was Kotoko. Kotoko had run away when she was twelve. She had wanted a normal life, and to marry as a normal person would. She did not want to be tied to a village with no chance at true happiness. Kaede understood Kotoko's decision, and never tried to follow her. Her understanding had led to the dissolution of her marriage. Kotoko denied her spiritual powers, and so they lay dormant within her and her children, for generations.

Kurama told Kagome that when she was born, the Shikon no Tama was inside her body infusing her with its power, and hiding itself so that she would not have the same fate as so many other mikos who had died at the hands of blood thirsty demons. It was inside her body, only because she was the reincarnation of Kikyou (which she told him she already knew). The Shikon no Tama was an inanimate object that could transcend both space and time. It had powers that even the gods themselves did not have. It knew all that had happened, since the time of its creation. The Shikon had awoken in her when it was time. It had called to the demon in the past when it was time. It knew Kagome's future and was determined to fulfill its destiny through her. The Shikon was not gone, as Kagome had thought; it was still inside her.

Kurama explained that the Tama had anchored itself to her soul and this is why the Detectives were sent. King Enma was hoping there was a way to release the anchor. He wanted the Shikon no Tama locked up in the relative safety that the Rekai could provide; but King Enma did not want to lock away a power such as the Shikon Miko. The Jewel itself, he didn't mind locking away; but Enma wanted the Shikon Miko to work for his son, on his Spirit Detective team.

Kurama asked for Kagome to accompany himself and his team to the Rekai to speak to their boss and his father. He apologized, because he wasn't sure how long she would be gone; though he informed her it would be at least a month, depending on how things went. Kagome accepted, but asked for a moment to speak to her family and for her to grab a few things.

The Detectives waited outside while Kagome got ready. After thirty minutes, Kagome emerged from her house in jeans and a plain pink t-shirt with sneakers, a bow and arrow set, and a large yellow back pack, stuffed to the brim. Hiei snickered, Kurama smirked, and Yuusuke and Kuwabara burst out laughing at the back pack. It was old and tattered. It was stained with blood and kami only knows what else.

"Onna, it seems as if you need a new pack."

"First off: My name is Ka-Go-Me! Kagome. Learn it. Second: this back pack has got me through the feudal era, I'm sure it can withstand a little, supposedly well-meaning, trip to meet the gods."

"Shorty! She sure told you!" Kuwabara was clutching his stomach he was laughing so hard.

Hiei hit Kuwabara in the back of the head, effectively shutting him up and knocking him down. Hiei grabbed the hilt of his sword. Kurama pulled out his communicator to call Botan for a portal.

"Onna, if you were not my team's responsibility, I would have killed you for speaking to me like that. If you do it again, I cannot guarantee you will live."

Kagome growled and glared at Hiei.

"Listen up, I've dealt with a lot of demons, and most were taller than you, and some were scarier than you!" Kagome put her hand on her bow.

Kurama stepped in between the two and smiled at Kagome.

"Hiei does not normally get along well with others, especially humans."

"That's putting it mildly," Kagome snorted. "Actually, I know lots of youkai like that…that doesn't make it okay though!"

"Shall we? Botan has arrived with the portal." Kurama held out his arm for Kagome; Kagome was still fuming as they stepped through the portal.

"Hiei, I think you've found your match." Yuusuke said and jumped into the portal before Hiei could retaliate. Kuwabara laughed even more and followed Yuusuke.

"The Shikon Miko is nothing but a nuisance."

Hiei scowled and ran off, leaving Botan staring after him.


	3. Chapter 3

The portal opened into a large office. It had plush carpet, and a large wooden desk. Above the desk was a large flat panel screen. There were several built-in bookcases behind the desk also. There were several chairs and side tables scattered around the room; numerous file cabinets covered one wall.

"Kagome, this is Prince Koenma." Kurama pointed to a short toddler with a huge pacifier in his mouth, who was standing in a chair behind an extremely large desk.

"And, he's your boss?" Kagome asked, smirking. She walked over a picked him up. "He's just a baby! How KAWAII!" Kagome hugged him as he sputtered.

"Put me down! I am not a baby! I am Prince Koenma. I am older than you!"

Kagome's eyes widened as she stared at, what she thought, was a very intelligent and advanced baby. She sat him on the desk.

"I'm sorry. You just, you don't look like…Are you sure your older than me?"

"My appearance can be quite confusing at first. You get used to it." Prince Koenma shrugged. "Anyways, Lady Kagome, my father would like to speak to you, alone. George will show you the way."

A big blue ogre nodded and held out his hand.

"Lady Kagome."

"Wow. This just gets weirder and weirder. First a portal to another world, then a talking baby, and now a blue ogre guide? No offense."

George just smiled and opened the door for her. Once the door was shut, Koenma turned to his team.

"Where's Hiei?"

"Oh, umm…" Yuusuke stuttered.

"Shorty's got a crush." Kuwabara exploded laughing.

"Hiei left instead of getting into the portal." Botan answered.

"Yes, well, I suppose that's only to be expected of him."

-----------------------------------------

Kagome shook her head after leaving King Enma's office. King Enma had explained the importance of figuring out the bond the Shikon had created. Kagome had seen the dangers of the Jewel and had agreed whole-heartedly with the King. She asked if there could be reverse side-effects, and King Enma told her that was one thing they would look into. King Enma had offered Kagome a room in the Rekai, while medical and spiritual examinations were conducted to determine the exact nature of the bond of the Shikon no Tama to the Shikon Miko. Kagome was concerned about the examinations until King Enma assured her that she would have a say in the exams; and that she would not miss school for it. King Enma also explained the importance of keeping the Shikon Miko safe, and informed her she was being transferred to Sarayashiki, so that Prince Koenma's team could watch over her. Kagome was not happy about being transferred, but was pleased that she would not be missing anymore school.

George escorted her back to Koenma's office. Koenma, Botan, Kurama, and Sally, another ogre whom she was introduced to later, were all waiting on her; Yuusuke and Kuwabara had already been dismissed. Koenma introduced Kagome to Sally and explained that Sally would show her around, and take her to her room. Kurama was assigned to pick Kagome up for school on Monday; since it was Friday, she had all weekend to settle in and be examined by the Rekai doctors. Prince Koenma dismissed them all when Kagome stated she was ready to get settled in.

-----------------------------

Sally amicably led the way to Kagome's room, showing her the kitchen (and introducing her to the cooks on duty), women's restrooms, and her own room, in case Kagome needed her. After a few detours, Sally pulled out a key and handed it to Kagome.

Kagome took the key and opened the door. As she walked in she was astonished. The room was easily larger than the entire first floor of her shrine. In the middle of the room was a king size cherry wood canopy bed with intricate vine carvings throughout the headboard. The curtains were a sheer white lace and were tied to the bed with red ribbons. The sheets on the bed were a deep red silk, with white lace vine patterns. The cherry wood dresser was longer than a twin sized bed with carvings matching the headboard. In one corner was a gigantic matching bookcase filled with books. On another wall was a mini-fridge.

"This room is HUGE! King Enma must be crazy! Why would I need all this room?!" Kagome rolled her eyes and sat her small bag down on the dresser to start unpacking. She came to realize that her things would barely fill one of the enormous drawers. She sighed, looking up from the dresser and realized that Sally was still standing in the doorway, waiting patiently.

"Sally?"

"I just wanted to show you where the extra towels are."

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Early Saturday morning, Kagome was awoken by a knock on her door.

"Come in!" She yelled from her king size bed that King Enma had assigned to her. She rubbed her eyes and sleepily pushed the hair from her face.

"I was sent to show you to the examination room."

"I haven't bathed yet. Can you wait about 30 minutes?"

"The doctors said to tell you to bathe afterwards. They need your scent." Sally answered and walked over to the bed. She held out a folded white gown and explained that it was for Kagome to change into before she saw the doctors. Kagome wrinkled her nose and began changing.

"Are they demons?"

"No."

"Hmmm…then how would they be able to smell me?" Kagome murmured, too low for Sally to hear. Kagome ran her hair brush through her hair, and put on her robe before telling Sally she was ready.

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Sally led Kagome to the examination rooms in the Rekai. Kagome noticed a few humans, demons, and other beings that she was not sure how to classify, sitting in what looked suspiciously like a waiting room. Sally walked right past the secretary's desk and through a pair of swinging doors. The swinging doors led to a hallway with countless numbered doors on either side. Sally walked to the door labeled 23.

"This will be your exam room, Kagome. Normally, the doctors will just see you in whatever room is open, but since you are high priority, a room has been assigned to you. "

"I wish they wouldn't put others out…"

"There's over 500 exam rooms, I'm sure no one is being put out. Don't worry." Sally smiled reassuringly.

Kagome walked into examination room number 23 and turned around and walked out, almost tripping over Sally. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She slowly counted to ten and turned around and walked back in.

Five angels stood in the exam room, wearing scrubs, watching her silently.

* * *

AN: Sorry it took so long, this chapter was kinda slow, and I'm not happy with it at all! If anyone has any ideas how to improve it, I would be happy to hear them!

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

The angels were very kind, as could probably be expected of beings of light, but Kagome had no idea what to expect. She was petrified as she stood, dressed in only a translucent white examination gown, in front of the eyes of supposedly most pure beings created. As one of the angels glided over to her, she blushed bright red. She noticed the angels seemed to be androgynous. They were so beautiful. Their skin was sheer light. It was as if she was staring at a light bulb with a thin beige covering over it. Their eyes were so light blue if she wasn't looking for a color, she wouldn't have seen one. Wings stood up proud behind their shoulders. They were pure white and feathery. The light green scrubs stood out horribly. Looking closely at each one, she noticed small things which could be gender specific, like the one walking towards her seemed to have an Adam's apple. Two of them were shapelier than the others, curvier, slightly feminine.

"Hello. My name is Ashir." He motioned to the other angels, all dressed the same, in green scrubs, standing at the back of the room. "This is Sasi, Hillel, Gaze, and Gideon. We will be your doctors. We are here to determine the effects of the Shikon on you, physically, mentally, and spiritually. If you ever feel uncomfortable during a procedure, please inform us. We do not fully understand the emotions of human modesty, though we try to remember its importance. If you have any questions, I will answer them. Sasi, Hillel, Giza, and Gideon do not speak human very well, the human tongue is incomparable in the entire universe. Though they understand it completely, the intricacies given you were not given us. I was blessed to be able to speak human, it is unusual for my people. We have all had numerous years working with humans, though I have had much more. I have been a humans doctor for over 675 years. Please do not worry in our care."

"I'm Kagome." Kagome felt as if her head was spinning. She bowed lightly, so she wouldn't pass out, and smiled as she raised back up. "It is nice to meet you."

"And it is our pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady." Ashir bowed. "Now, if you are ready, we can begin."

"What's first?" Kagome sighed.

Ashir led Kagome to an examination table, just like any other and asked her to sit. He explained that they would first take her vitals. Kagome climbed up on the table and let her feet dangle. Sasi walked up to Kagome and smiled. She held out an instrument which reminded Kagome of a stethoscope. It had a bottom part similar to that of a stethoscope, only more conical than round. On the pointed end, it connected to a wire which was connected to a computer. Sasi held it up to Kagome's chest and instructed her to breathe deeply. The computer started beeping and Gaze went to the computer and started typing on the screen. The beeping continued. Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes, hoping the exam would be over soon.

* * *

"You could have warned me that my doctors were angels, Sally!"

"I'm sorry. You only asked if they were demons." Sally smiled at Kagome and Kagome groaned.

Sally had left Kagome during her examination for her privacy, without realizing how uneasy Kagome had been. Kagome was still tense after being left with a room full of angels. Sally took Kagome back to Prince Koenma's office.

* * *

Prince Koenma wanted to talk to Kagome personally after her first examination to ensure her comfort. When she walked into Prince Koenma's office, she walked straight across the room, and pointed her finger in his face.

"No one told me I would be surrounded by angels! What if I offended them? I didn't even know they existed!"

"You're comfortable with demons, but when someone shows you an angel, you're scared? Onna, you are backwards."

Kagome turned red, just noticing Prince Koenma was not alone in his office, as the other members of the Rekai Tantei began laughing at her expense. Kagome turned around and yelled at Hiei.

"My name is Ka-Go-Me, Demon!"

"You don't even have the sense to realize you shouldn't be talking so insolently to a demon, but you're scared of angels? I could smell the fear and apprehension coming off you from down the hall."

Kagome turned back to Prince Koenma, and closed her eyes, thinking. _'So, the_ _little guy already knows my scent, huh? I wonder if scent is as potent to fire demons as it is to dog demons and fox demons…'_

"Prince Koenma, I do not mean to be rude, but could we have a moment of privacy to discuss my examination."

"Of course," Prince Koenma turned his attention to his team, "Stay close, I am not done with you."

The Tantei and Sally disappeared out the door, all going their separate ways.


	5. Chapter 5

Prince Koenma sent Botan, or Lady Death, as I called her, to give me updates on Kagome. Time travelled differently in the Rekai and Makai than in the Ningenkai. She did not go into specifics of how it worked though. Kagome starts school with Kurama the day after tomorrow, Lady Death had told me. I wondered if the difference in time would affect her, and Botan answered that Kagome would just have more time to do homework. She said there would be no negative effects like I was expecting. She said Kagome was happy, so far, and that the examinations were going well. She told me that Kagome would be visiting as soon as the school week was over. At least I knew she was going to school in the Ningenkai and when the week would be over. Unlike the last quest she went on, this time, I knew when I would see my daughter again. And even though it was a small comfort, I still worried for her safety. Botan had not given me any specifics of what my daughter had encountered so far, and I was worried.

With him, he always told me the truth; even the horrifying somehow death-defying stunts that they both pulled, while he was waiting on Kagome to come home from school. It seemed I would not have that comfort this time. My daughter may not have been out fighting monsters this time, but this was not something anyone could control. The Shikon was always horrible in the myths; it only brought misery and destruction and death upon those it 'chose'.

Ji-chan, on one hand, was just pleased to learn that the gods had as much of an interest in Kagome as "that demon had," (in his words). Souta worried incessantly about Kagome. He complained that the gods should take Inuyasha to protect, because they wouldn't do as good of a job. I had to constantly remind Souta that Inuyasha was 500 years in the past, and the gods were here in the present, and probably did not like to interfere with time. Though, sometimes, it felt like I was saying that more for myself than Souta.

Midoriko, the original Shikon Miko, came to me in a dream last night. She told me that Kagome would be fine. She also explained that my daughter's destiny would not be finished for 506 more years. I asked her why. She smiled sadly, and looked me in the eyes. "Do you remember the first time I came to you? When you allowed her to go into the past? I told you her prophecy:

_She will live 500 years ago,_

_She will fight what she does not know,_

_She will save that which matters most,_

_Victory will carry her home,_

_And she will heal the hearts of both."_

"But, she did all that!"

"No, my dear, the prophecy is not linear,' She has fulfilled only half of it."

"Why can't the gods just leave her alone?!"

"Because, there is no one alive or dead who matches her strength."

* * *

After her talk with Koenma, Kagome tried to find her way back to her room. After what seemed to be a few wrong turns, she started getting frustrated.

"Why does everything here look the same?! There's nothing to distinguish one hall from another!" She yelled exasperated. She turned another corner and ran into Hiei, which knocked her on her bottom.

She stood up and growled at him.

"Why'd you let me run into you!"

"Onna, I'm not responsible for your actions. You are too upset to pay attention to your surroundings." Hiei smirked at her. She growled louder.

"But, you could have stopped me!"

"But you should never lose awareness of your surroundings, Onna."

"Are you ever gonna call me by my name, Hybrid."

"When you earn it."

Kagome rolled her eyes. She pushed her way past Hiei and was about half way down the hall way before he had caught up to her.

"I'll show you to your room."

"I don't need YOUR help." Kagome growled.

"Of course you do. You'd be wandering all night."

"No, I'm just…looking around…seeing the sights…you know? It's really pretty up here." She tried to say it as nonchalantly as possible.

Hiei growled and narrowed his eyes.

"Onna, I hate it when people try to lie."

"I didn't realize your nose was that good, Hybrid." Kagome frowned.

"It's better than you think."

"And how do you know what I think?"

Hiei smirked again.

"Follow me." He started walking down another hall.

"I hate it when you smirk!" Kagome complained and followed after him.

* * *

Kagome was tired already. She hadn't even been at Rekai for a full week and she was exhausted. The Angel doctors had her doing what they called 'stress tests'. The stress tests included Hiei chasing her around trying to kill her and seeing how much damage the Shikon allowed upon it's mistress. They told her not to worry, that if she died, they would resurrect her immediately, but of course, that only made her worry more; it only meant Hiei did not have to hold back, and he already seemed to hold a grudge against her.

Genkai had been assigned to train her, and she was to meet with Kagome that night for the first session. She went to the bathroom and ran a hot bath to soak in before she got ready to leave. Her beige robe was wrapped around her tight; she begin to untie it when she heard a knock on the door. She walked over to the door and cracked it open.

"Oh. Hello, Kurama. Can I help you?" She smiled amicably towards him.

"I just wanted to bring you some things to use for school. I thought you might need a clean backpack, so people won't question the blood torn yellow monstrosity you carry around." He said with a laugh, handing her a blue back pack. "I promise it is strong enough to carry at least 6 school books, 3 notebooks, and all the pens and pencils and paper you could want."

"Okay, I get it. Sorry I bit Hiei's head off for making fun of my bag. It's just a touchy subject. I really miss the Feudal Era, and Inuyasha." Kagome laughed and blushed. "But I'm sure I'm boring you. I apologize." She bowed her head slightly.

"Don't worry about it. If you ever feel up to it, I would love to hear some of your tales."

"Maybe someday, Kurama."

* * *

AN: Sorry about the wait, again! Work is killing me. Thanks for all the reviews! Keep it up, I love knowing what you all think about it.


	6. Chapter 6

"King Enma, it would appear that the Shikon has made Lady Kagome immortal. She has more biologically in common with one of us than she does a human. She feels pain, and gets cuts, but they heal before she dies. The healing process seems to be painful. She blacks out and has no memory of the method of healing. There also appears to be a barrier in her mind, keeping her sanity, but also limiting her powers."Ashir explained to the giant blue god. Enma was scowling, though that was not uncommon for him. He waved his hand, signifying for Ashir to continue. "While the barrier is necessary, it seems as if it was placed there before she was born. Possibly at conception, when we believe the Shikon reappeared within her. From the records and what we can ascertain from interviewing Kagome, Kaede, Kikyou, and Midoriko, it would appear that once Midoriko created the jewel, it was bound to her family line. Once she created it, and sealed herself away, a family from the Taiji-ya tribe was given it to protect, though she was unsure of how it reached them. Her soul suffered much trauma, you see, during the creation of the Shikon. The Taiji-ya tried to protect it, and could not. The demons searching for the Jewel were too determined and the Taiji-ya lost many in the time they protected the Jewel. So, the Taiji-ya searched for someone suitable to protect it. The person they found was a descendant of Midoriko, and the most powerful Miko of the time. The fact that she was so powerful was the reason the Slayers decided to entrust her with the Shikon. They were hoping her purity would aid in concealing the aura of the Jewel."

"So, Kagome is related to Midoriko."

"Yes. Midoriko is Kikyou's great, great Aunt."

"So, why did her purity not conceal the Jewel?" Enma asked, leaning forward slightly, thoroughly engrossed in the tale.

"Because, Kikyou's purity was compromised."

"How? Was it because she loved the hanyou?" Enma gasped.

"Love does not taint, even love of one usually considered tainted by others. While I may have studied humanity, I will never understand the prejudices that they hold." Ashir frowned. "Her purity was compromised because of her hate. Kikyou was resentful of her life and her family. She was never allowed a normal life, or family, and she resented the people who kept her from what she wanted."

"Can you remove the barrier from Kagome?"

"Yes, but not without risking her sanity."

"What will happen?"

"The Jewel could self-destruct, killing her, or she could become omnipotent. There is a possibility of her losing herself within her consciousness and the Jewel taking over her body. I would fear for her life if I removed the barrier."

"What about the Hybrid on my son's team? The one with the Jagan? Could he guide her through it?"

"He could become tied to her."

"Tied how?"

"The Jewel could merge their consciousness together to aid Kagome in keeping her sane."

"Would the Miko survive and thrive? And the Hybrid?"

"I cannot see any reason why she wouldn't. As for the Hybrid, I'm not sure he would enjoy being tied to anyone. "

"Yes, yes, I know, but would it harm him?"

"No."

"Do it. Don't tell the Hybrid of the risk. Inform Kagome as soon as possible, the barrier will be removed Friday, after her first week at school. You will continue to monitor her until then, and see if you can find an easier way. I will deal with the Hybrid."

"Yes, Lord Enma." Ashir bowed his head and turned, walking from the room slowly.

-------------------------------

Genkai-sensei and Kagome had chatted lightly over tea during their meeting, and then Genkai had asked Kagome to show her what she could do in hand to hand combat. Kagome balked at the idea and took a deep breath, standing.

"Genkai-sensei, I am fairly proficient with a bow and arrows, but beyond that, I am defenseless. I beg your forgiveness of my inabilities, and beg your aid in correcting them." Kagome bowed deeply with great sincerity.

"Get up. Just show me what you can do. I don't care if you're good or not. I just need to know what level you are on."

"I have no one to spar with."

"Onna, if it's a spar you want, I'll enjoy it." Hiei said as he dropped out of a tree nearby, landing gracefully on his feet.

"I was hoping you would join us Hiei." Genkai smiled. Kagome bit her lip. "Kurama told me how much you liked to play with her." Genkai winked and Kagome blushed. Hiei growled lightly. "Oh hush. Now start, just don't kill her."

Hiei lunged at Kagome with a glare on his face, claws outstretched. Kagome screamed and fell on the ground and rolled. Hiei bent at the last second and swiped her shoulder. He fell as Kagome kicked his ankle. Kagome jumped up as quickly as possible and took off running. Hiei chased her, enjoying it. Kagome ran unusually fast for a human, and smart too. She zigzagged, not making herself any easier of a target than she already was. She would brush up against trees and bushes and then double back and go another way trying not to touch anything that way. Hiei was too fast for her game, though he allowed her to play it. Watching the Miko try to get away was amusing to him, and he indulged in it for a few extra minutes before jumping down in front of her. Kagome yelped and turned the other way and ran. Hiei caught up to her and grabbed her around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. She went limp in his grasp before trying to summon her miko powers futilely. Hiei smirked and laughed lightly in her ear, before he pushed his short claws into her stomach, giving her bleeding skin wounds before releasing her.

"I win, Onna." Hiei released her onto the ground and sped off, calling out, "I'll be at the next practice." Kagome screamed and fell over. The wounds on her stomach stitched themselves together slowly, pulling her skin back together, scarring slightly.

"I think we found you a great partner." Genkai smiled, looking at the girl who had passed out after running over 5 miles in such a short timespan and then healing herself. "Your blackouts may be an inconvenience though."

-------------------

Kagome was sitting on her bed, after her meeting with Genkai. She had just finished dressing after her bath when she heard a knock on her door. She called out that the door was open, and stood up to greet her visitor. Ashir walked in, a concentrated look on his face.

"Hello, Ashir." Kagome smiled, turning towards him. "I haven't seen you outside of the examinations. How can I help you?"

"Kagome. From the tests that we have ran, I have determined that there is a barrier around your mind. King Enma thinks it would be best for us to remove it."

"What does that entail?"

"We would need Hiei to aide us in the removal. He would be holding your consciousness to your body while we removed the barrier. It will not be an easy process, or painless either, but there is no choice."

"When?"

"Friday. You will continue to attend the examinations until then, and we will be working to prepare you for the procedure. If you will excuse me, I will leave and allow you to organize yourself for school in the morning. If you have any questions, please feel free to consult me."

As Ashir walked out and closed her door, Kagome sat on her bed heavily. She sighed and contemplated her situation_. I don't have anyone here to talk to. I could talk to Kurama. Would he understand though? He doesn't know the Shikon like I do. Like Inuyasha does. I miss him so much. I wonder if I will ever see him again… _Kagome's thoughts slowly slid away as her fears took over and sobs encased her body. She lay down in her sorrow and cried herself to sleep.


End file.
